Galvanizing apparatus



May 31 1927. 1,630,508

L. A. WYND ET AL GALVANIZING APPARATUS Filed March 20, 1926 3 Sheets-Sheet 1 A /af/ L. A. WYND ET AL GALVANIZING APPARATUS May 3l 1927. 1,630,508

Filed MamhRO, 1926 3 sheets-sheet 2 v Wmlw W l May 31 927 l.. A. wYND ET AL GALVANIZING APPARATUS Filed March 20, 1926 3 Sheets-Sheet 3 Y 'LNYENTEIRE- j NA lll

Peleimled 3L eeeic GAL'WANMXNG llPPAR/T'US.

Application meal. Merch im, 19%. leiiel lc. 96mm.

Illliis invention has reieience io the galvanizing of iron oi Sieel ai'iicles9 suoli 'lof instance as Wife, etc. i

Clhe'inveniiom has for its principal object a galvanizing apparatus comprising a unit, inciuding a plurality of spaced pans, ille individual cioSS-Secilonal area oi which 'is substantially lese than are pane el sianclaicl pi'aciice and iivhich, when ueecl loi galvaniziiag `wife ieceivc only a small number oi Wires as compared le euch eiaiidercl pane.

The object of constructing a galvanizing @leaning including a plui'eliiy oi' small pane, as aloove pointed oui, is9 lime :my one geen oi each` oeil; may loe iemoveel anal 1re- 'placecl Wiilioul, clism'loing any other pan ci the miie; eecoocl9 es eecli laan accommodates only a :few wiiee, any pac oi a unil; maybe opeialecl wiliioul elle ncceeeily loi' operating ilie olliee pans el auch unil; iliiiii, a smaller laoely ci metal ie aequiied pei wife gaivaoiaecl; lourlli, lelie use el Smell pam; allows foi* 'eeiij' muela gceaiei' heal; economy than ie possible Willi standard pene; lilig ille l eiiirliace oli elle meell ilieee'emell pees :may

leemoice easily paoiecled oaiclelzioii oil ille eianclawl iype, enel eizaili, 'ille coal; suele oeils is very muela ieee time me pane o ille eiazoeleid Tlao invention has :loi immer olojccl io pioviele iieifiivicliial pane eacla miie will teal movable lieal: amel aii1 iiieulelmoana lliei oiijeci oi' the ilove-elio@ is lo pieu viele fgov ecoeomically .healing eacli inclii/ici ley pieialily elec'feiical means.

il ellill iiii ei' oloecl, oi ille imeiiiioii is io loioeie a mollen metal sup ly loi ehe ineliviele @one oil a imii io iep ace metal cai'n eicel cui a cooling, oi' io supply a. new paio willi ecolieia ieelaia thus oloifiatiiigdelaye in cieleieial lo elle iiolroduciion el Koelcel which ie moi im a mollen ciale.

"llae invention leas 'loic a eiill '.ioiilaei ole jeci, io provide a valve-mixing appai'aius mea-os loia auioieeiicai y supplying a deniie amount ol liimimg salts, sucia as sal ein momiac, ai: dciiiiiie intervals or coniiuiioiiely, as "ehe case may be; such 'feeding means being locale@ ai one of lcoili ends the appar-aine, oi al; en; oliiei? desirable localice.

"lllial, imeiiiioii may loe more fully um ceieloocl? ieliaol lo accompany ing ciiewin s, illusiiaiiiog' a pelerreci emu codimeni oi the inveelion, in which im lf'ipn l is a, side elevation, on a geasly i'eclucel scale7 showing a galvanizing appam meins embodying the invention;

Fig. 2 is e, iop'plan View of'lig. l, parily lorolen away;

Fig, 3 ie a longitudinal sectional View, broken iii loro and somewhat enlarged, as the same would appear, ii ialen onthe line J3? Fig., Q3;

llig. i isa cross-section as the same *would f same would eyepiece che line 8 6, Fig. 35.

amel

Fig. ie e plan el' 8.

Lilie ciiaacieie oi ieieence eleiioie come epomiieg peice iliicuoul like goiee elle eil; oili galifeiiizieg, paiiiciilaiiy galvaeieiiig of wi-ice ezecl like aa'lclees il ie usuel and cusiomaiay, ee ie Well lmowii io @loose eliilecl iii ai@ time iiie galiaiiieing pene aie comeaiucecii olE heavy eicel golesea 'lliiee qiiaiieie el am iecle amel more im izloicin mese up io liiiily--lwo feel'. in ieegiii anzi up iso loiijy-eigiil; wide amel ego io lliiily-eira incliee iii lfuiilieimo as cee loe no oc seamos loelow *elle metal line, iloeee pans are veiy costly. Then on account ell" liieii great bulk il@ extremely difficult heal; 'llieee eene mal :ioimly anni as one ol ilie i'esulis elle lille oli suelo pan is veify short, avei'agiegf io ille neighborhood ol ilorfee months, lil/ei haar" ing licei-o loomed out iliese pans me worthleee i'm '.luiilici use ae molten metal cominciai-- ei'e., lliiiilieimoie, as "these Jipaiie lioicl a great mamy loes oi' Maciel 'lliece is a, considere-lele delay iii -ieplacing pane and the galvanizing unil is cui of commission loi` a considerable length el lime, Fans oil ellis characzei cai:1 ry ae es eiiieem Wires, and morey ilepeieeling om the eiee el llie pan and loi Wircal1 ever eumloei oi"- Wiree aie loeinggalvaeieecl elio wliele pam meel loe used amel likewise when the pan is out of commission no wires at all can be galvanized in that particular unit. In other words, the present type of galvanizing pan is not at all flexible. The large pans, as at present used, offer a very large surface of metal which increases the amount of heat lost by radiation and this large surface also increases the loss of metal due to oxidation. Furthermore, it is very diicult to remove the dross which forms in galvanizin pans and the consequent metal loss romt is source.

By the use of the present invention all of these disadvantages are obviated. In the first place, it is not necessary to use heavy steel plate, as ordinary double strength pipe, split in half, or a material of a similar character may be used, and instead of one very large pau a plurality of small pans is used. Then, because these individual pans are small it is a relatively simple matter to heat these pans uniformly and thus prolong the life of the pan materially. Furthermore, on account of the smallness of these pans they may be removed and replaced in an extremely short time, as compared with the ordinary pans. Then, too, it is obvious that when removing one of the small pans a whole galvanizing unit is not put out of commission as all the other pans of the unit fune tion in the normal manner. Another advantage of the smaller pan is the ease with which molten metal may be added from a reservoir, obviating the necessity for heating up cold metal. Furthermore, it is not necessary to operate a whole unit as any one or more of the smaller pans may be operated without affecting any of the other pans of the unit. In other words the type of construction. used is extremely flexible. Furthermore, as only a small surface of metal is exposed this type of construction lends itself to the use of a means for very mate rially reducing the loss of heut by radiation from the surface of the metal, or the loss by oxidation due to air coming in contact with said metallic surface. Furthermore, the removal of dross is obviously very easy and the small type of pan lends itself well to the use otl a zinc proof lining which materially cuts down the formation of dross.

We are aware of the patent to Crich for a wire galvanizing apparatus, No. 301,572, patented July 8, 1884, which so far as our knowledge goes is the closest approach to the inventive thought that we have in mind, but which upon a careful analysis it will be Observed is neither similar in construction or in function to the apparatus herein disclosed. The Crich patent shows a. furnace with a multiplicity of tubes placed in juxtaposition and all heated from a common chamber. Such an arrangement is both impracticable and uneconomical, two salient 'eatures incorporated in the present apparatus. While the Crich patent hints at a method of removing skimmings and dross from these pipes, it is clearly obvious that the dross will not collect at the point indicated and, therefore, it is a practical conclusion to say that the dross could never be removed in the manner provided.

Reference being had to the drawings, 1 designates the main body of the furnace which is of suitable length and width, and preferably very shallow in depth. It comprises a brick structure supported at a suitable elevation above the'loor line by means of a framework, including base rails 2, standards 3 and cross supports 4. The furnace is formed with a plurality of lon 'tudinally disposed spaced heating cham rs 5, which extend approximately from one end of the furnace to the other, and it is to be understood that the courses of brick next adjacent, or forming the walls of these heating chambers, are made of some type of the usual heat insulating materials. As shown, the heating chambers 5 are closed on three sides and open out of the top of the body structure for the placement of heating elements 6, preferably electrical, and, also, for the placement of the pans 7 for holding the molten metal. The pans 7 preferably correspond in length to the length of the furnace proper, and while the heating elements 6 may be placed and removed by first removin the pans, it is obvious, of course, that t e same may be removed without removing the ans by providing the end walls ot' each heating chamber with refractory removable plugs 8, which when removed pro videopenings l'or the removing and replacement of the heating elements.

The pans 7 may be made from pipe, preferably ot' the double strength type which after having caps screwed on and welded in place on each end are split in half, thus making two separate pans from each pipe for containing the molten metal. It desirable these paus may be lined with a suitable material such, for example,as tire clay for preventing the molten zinc, which comprises the bath, from coming in contact with the metal of the pan. To support the pans by suspension in the respective heating chambers there is preferably welded to the sides, and longitudinally of the pans, angular supports 9, which rest upon the top tace wall of the brick structure forming the furnace and with the body of the pans disposed down in the heating chambers 5, as best seen in Figs. 4, and 5. The angular supports 9 further function as a member to which may be hinged insulating covers 10, of which a plurality are provided for each pan throughout their length, as best seen in Fig. 3.

At each end of the pans a superstructure is provided, which will be described, and the insulating covers preferably occupy the bil Cri

bill

space throughout the length of the pans between these superstructures, and these insulating covers are made as individual units, positioned next adjacent each other, Whereby, one ma be raised without interfering with any o the others for the purposes of inspection, removal of dross, splicing of broken wire, or other purposes which would suggest themselves to those skilled in the art.

The heating elements 6 are shown more or less in a diagrammatic way, according to practice, and it is understood that they may be of any type suitable for the work to be done, and connections are or may be provided for supplying these heating elements with a source of heat from any desirable and suitable source.

Disposed within the pans 7, at or near opposite ends thereof and preferably at given points, and preferably at given distances from each end, are removable aprons 11, see lfigs. 8 and 9. These aprons are in height only sufficient to extend down part way into the molten metal within these pans. somewhat as shown in Fi 8, and aie preferably formed or provide with a plurality of spaced slots 12 through which the wires move which are to be coated. These aprons function not only as guides for the wires, as

,seen in flif. 3, but the skimmings which form are he d Within the pans between these aprons, disposed at or near the opposite ends thereof. This disposition of the aprons forms in enect compartments 13 at the opposite ends of the pans and between the respective e ds thereof and said aprons, and in these compartments are the clean metal surfaces forming the ingress and egress ends for the wires which are being coated, allowing such wires to enter and leave the coating bath through a clean zinc system. 'lille metal in the com artments 13 of the pans is kept unoxidize and free of foreign matter by the introduction of sal ammoniac, or some other suitable hun which is fed thereto at intervals or continuously as may be desired. Such sal ammoniac or flux is deposited in hoppers or bins 14 supported by superstructures 15 located at each end of the furnace and above the compartments 13 of the respective pans, as best seen in Figs. 3` l and 5.. Such hoppers or bins are pro-y vided with depending chutes 16, one foreach pan, and extending downwardly to a point immediately above the tops of the pans and inthe lower ends of each chute are journaled for rotation feeding members l?, which may or may not have the form of fluted rollers, and said members are carried on shafts 18., one for each series of members, and on one end of each of said shafts is a sprocket wheel 19 connected by a sprocket chain 20, adapted to receive its power from any suitable source, whereby, they may be operated' intermittently or continuously as occasion may require. The chutes 16 above the feeding members are partitioned and provided with feeding openings 21, adapted to be covered by adjustable sliding valves 22, which are manually regulated so as to provide more or less feeding of the sal ammoniac or other flux from the hoppers to the feeding members, the latter discharging the same onto the coating metal in the compartments 13.

In Figsl, 2 and 3 of the drawings We have illustrated a furnace which includes a unit of three pans in width with three Wires being conducted through each pan, but it is to be understood that the furnace may be of any desired width, and a unit of pans may comprise one or more as may be desired. rl`he Wires are designated A andare preferably conducted to the pans and to the compartments 13 therein in a substantially vertical direction, and on entering a compartment 13 pass under grooved guiding rollers 23, thence extending through the pans and through the slots 12 in the aprons 1l, and then directed from a compartment 13 at the exit ends of the pans in a substantially vertical direction, after first passing around similarly grooved guiding rollers 23, all of which is best seen in Fig. 3.

The apparatus as described, using sal ammoniac or other suitable flux to provide clean zinc surfaces at the ingress and egress ends of thel pans and direct-ing the coated wires in a substantially vertical direction therefrom, provides an apparatus for galvanizing wire which obviates the necessity of using the usual or ordinary wiping means or a heat-treating furnace which is now known, and makes possible the coating of wire with a heavy, flexible and malleable bright surfaced coating, even when using Prime western zinc as a coating medium. Conducting the wires from the pans in a substantially vertical direction with such an apparatus allows for a smooth uniform coating to be formed around the wire without recourse to smoothing mediums, such as Wipers, or the heat-treating furnace hereinbefore mentioned.

'lhe apparatus embodies in its scope the use of the same for the purposes above outlined. and if desired the apparatus may be used for ordinary galvanizing purposes by the omission of the aprons 11, mechanism for supplying sal ammoniac or other flux and by the use of Well known wiping means. or in place of the wiping means some suitable skimming mechanism and heat-treating furnace for heat-treating the coatedy wires as they leave the pans.

lt should now be apparent that bv constructing a furnace of the type herein disclosed, by providing a unit of a plurality of pans with individual heating units for pan, that one or more pans may be llt] lli@

employed as desired, and only those pans which are in use heated. It being` noted that ans may be lput into operation in the numrs desired, or discontinued, without aiiecting any of the other pans of the unit, also, that with the hinged insulated covers for the pans that access may be had thereto as occasion may require, as, for instance for s licing wires, removing dross, etc. urt ermore, the -use of such hingedinsulated covers for the respective ans prevents constant contact of air Wit the top of the molten metal bath and' thusv keeps the amount of oxide skimmin to a. minimum. y The furnace is preferab y provided with a receptacle 24, removably seated within a chamber 25, provided with a heating unit 26 of substantially the same character as the heating units 6 and adapted to receive its heat from the same source of supply. The purpose of this receptacle is to act as a reservoir :for molten metal which may he ladled therefrom into the respective pans 7 at any time it is necessary to add additional metal, thereby, obvieting the necessity for adding cold metal to the pans 7 and caus ing them to be chilled a'.

This application .is a companion to the application filed by applicants on February 26, 1926', for a process of coatinff materials having an iron or steel base, ELgSerial No. 90,868.

What we claim is Inra gaivenizing apparatus, in combination, a furnace provided with a plurality of longitudinally disposed und spaced heating chambers, a pen for each chamber removably supported therein, individuel heating means for each pan, Ineens for dividing `the said pans into compartments at euch end, and means located ahove each end of the furnace adapted to supply a flu); to the end compartments of seid pans to provide a clean zinc system for the ingress and egress of articles through seid pens.

JULIAN L. SCHUELER. LEO A. WYND. 

